Kansas State University

SALINA — Kansas State University Salina recently opened the campus's Welcome Center, officially cutting the purple ribbon on the project Sept. 4. The center provides the first impression of the campus to potential students and their families and serves as the one-stop service shop for new and returning students.

"The Welcome Center will play an essential role in the college life of every student on campus," said Verna Fitzsimmons, K-State Salina CEO and dean, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It will be one space that houses multiple services, making a student's entrance into a new year easy and stress free."

The unveiling of the renovated building, which drew a large crowd of university faculty and staff, students, alumni and community members, included its history that dates back to 1955 when it was constructed as part of Schilling Air Force Base. And because of its age, the demolition of the space left only the concrete slab, exterior walls and interior structural columns and beams.

"We left no stone unturned when redesigning and rebuilding this 5,700-square-foot space," said Bill Bochte, K-State Salina's director of facilities. "We were especially conscious of going green — using a higher quality of insulation, a more efficient heating and cooling system and installing LED lighting throughout."

The Welcome Center also contains a classroom for up to 40 students, a computer lab, conference room and 12 offices accommodating financial aid, housing, admissions, student support services as well as the newly created position of diversity coordinator. Dixie Schierlman, associate dean of student services, says the university has been discussing the idea of a cohesive space like this one for a few years.

"At K-State Salina, it's all about the student experience," Schierlman said. "When we created the campus's strategic plan, one of the goals we established was giving students an exceptional education in state-of-the-art facilities. I believe the Welcome Center is the first step to setting them up for their success."

During tours of the Welcome Center, attendees were also invited to explore the new locker room addition in the Student Life Center. Each locker room contains 54 lockers, showers with individual changing areas attached, an additional bathroom and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

For more information on the Welcome Center and the Student Life Center locker room addition, contact Julee Cobb, K-State Salina communications and alumni coordinator, at 785-826-2642 or julee@k-state.edu.